A study of the stamps of Qatar and the history surrounding the time of their issue.
In my first published book, on page 219, I showcased a very rare King George VI Olympic Games stamp with a Qatar-type datestamp (Doha). However, at that time, I was unable to display a cover featuring those stamps from Qatar.
Qatar Post issued a new stamp set at the beginning of this month. It was sponsored by one of Qatar's oldest and most influential engineering companies - CICO Consulting Engineers.
Work is progressing on Book 2 of my collection, but this has slowed down my regular posts - I apologise for this.
Below is a commercial cover from one of Qatar's oldest companies.
The Jakarta 2024 Asian International Stamp Exhibition & Competition has ended, and Qatar's participation, as usual, was marked by a few awards, as can be seen below.
After a short summer break - back to some philatelic news.
On July 4th, a new stamp was issued in Qatar to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Joaan bin Jassim Academy for Defence Studies.
It's worth noting that the issue coincided with the academy's annual graduation ceremony, adding a special touch to the event.
The issued stamps are full of symbology, some of which are described in the slides below.
Friendship covers from Qatar are relatively rare, but finding one with parts of its contents is even rarer.
Sometimes, the luckiest of us find one rare stamp, stumble onto an unknown stamp, or discover that mysterious stamp missing from our collection.
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| My concern with the one stamp |
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| Full collection as known today |
Proud to announce that my first book on Qatar Philately just got published.
Using philately, it takes the reader on a tour of Qatar's history from the Stone Age to 1960.
The ITU resulted from the fast implementation of the telegraph lines throughout Europe. The convention regulating the tariffs across borders was signed in Paris on the 17th of May 1865 by twenty-one nations.
The ITU's centenary was celebrated worldwide with the issuance of 220 stamps by 100 countries and the United Nations.
Click on the images below to learn more.
Here are three Qatar stamps from the 1960s showing the start of the Qatar Boys Scouts Movement.
Continuing from the last post, another cover featuring the complete 1976 Earth Station stamp issuing and the 55 Dirham variation.
Knowing what to look for allows us to identify same rarer covers that might otherwise seem simply elaborate philatelic covers with little collectible value.
The below is one such example.
The British Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia issued stamps have a number of known plate flaws.
Qatar took over the Postal Service from the British Postal Agency for Eastern Arabia in 1963.
As such the covers below would be some of the first to be mailed by the newly created Department of Post and the top two covers by coincidence also include stamps belonging to the first two issues of Qatar after the takeover.
A simple cover from Qatar via Bahrain to a well known school in Mumbai, India. The mailing from Qatar for a ling period of time had to go through Bahrain.
When we start collecting, sometimes we commit errors without knowing, or at least I certainly did.
Qatar's historic retaining of the AFC champion's title has been marked by a set of stamps as shown below.
Cover from Germany to Qatar with a few interesting items.
The red town hall stamp is from West Berlin enclave. Making this a rare 1959 cover to Qatar, in particular in that it places Qatar in South East Arabia.
The recipient of the cover is a Mr. A.B. D'Souza, better known in Qatar philately for a series of friendship covers.
This cover was mailed just five days prior to Qatar's Independence.
Prior to the Independence Qatar had established its own constitution (First Interim Basic Law 1970), thereby creating all require internal organs such as Judicial System, Foreign Ministry (Department of Foreign Affairs - 1969).
The court system is a dual system compromised of Sharia and Adlia. The first has exclusive jurisdiction for family law matters, while the second follows more the Napoleonic Code common in most Middle East countries.
Today, is Qatar's National Day.
A day to remember Qatar's Founder - H. H. Sheikh Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Bin Thani.
The date is generally celebrated with much festivities, including Military parade, fireworks and so on. However, in an expression of solidarity with the people of Palestine, much of these year's celebrations were cancelled.
Below is a small explanation on the reasoning of choosing today as Qatar's National Day.
Please feel free to correct me.
The very first bank to open its doors in Qatar was the Eastern Bank.
It took 4 years from the idea to the actual opening the first doors.
The idea began with the Bahrain Manager of The Eastern Bank. This was subsequently discussed at high levels both in Doha and London prior to fruition.
Hence a cover from the Eastern Bank Bahrain to The Eastern Bank Doha helps to complete the circle.
Sometimes my collecting goes a little off and I get an unusual cover that relates to Qatar.
Such as this United Nations First Day Cover for a 1988 series of stamps featuring Flags of the World.
In this particular cover, we see the Flag of Qatar along with a cachet of a traditional Arabic boat - the Dhow.
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The Eastern Bank Doha first opened its door to the public in 1950 and remained in operations until 1971 when it got absorbed by the Standard Chartered Bank.
The New Currency was introduced in Qatar in the last quarter of 1966, and as can be seen in the upper cover, the usage of stamps bearing the old and new currency remained possible for a long time.
The man who created the main reference textbook for philately in the Gulf States is best know as Neil Donaldson. But his full name is Alec Neil Donaldson.
This may have allowed this cover to be sold without collectors realising its true significance.
Please click on the two images below to learn more about it, and about the man himself.
If you take some time, you can find interesting stories in just about any cover.
Here is a short story on the Qatar Marching Military Band
I have been looking for one such cover for a long time. After all, it is nice to connect the story to my home country.
Although covers to Portuguese India, at that time, were very common, to Portugal itself, surprisingly are very rare.
Good morning - a short post showing a Type 3B Aerogramme from Umm Said to a New York stamp dealer.
